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New Zealand Journal
of Employment Relations
Volume 33 Number 3
PRUE HYMAN* Abstract This paper is the third in a series of papers updating developments relating to pay equity and EEO and evaluating their impact. As with the previous papers, it focuses primarily on gender, but also discusses the overall situation and touches on issues related to ethnicity, age and disability. In the last two years, the broad public sector, assisted by the Pay and Employment Equity Unit in the Department of Labour, has made significant progress in reporting on gender issues in most departments and in some parts of the public health and education sector, but practical action to reduce remaining gender pay gaps is a slow process. This paper will discuss these public sector processes and also the private sector situation in the context of a period where women have surpassed men in terms of education outcomes, therefore, the need for vigilance around women's position in the labour market is increasingly questioned. With respect to ethnicity, despite non-discrimination legislation, there is substantial evidence of problems encountered by many immigrants entering the labour market. The paper will examine recent evidence on discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, age, disability and reports/recommendations for its elimination. * Adjunct Professor of Gender and Women's Studies, Victoria University of Wellington, New Zealand, Prue.Hyman@vuw.ac.nz The Effect of Early Childhood Education and Care (ECE) Costs on the Labour Force Participation of Parents in New Zealand STEFAN KESTING* and SCOTT FARGHER** Abstract New Zealand suffers from labour and skill shortage, has a record low official unemployment rate, one of the highest figures of working hours per capita per annum and at the same time one of the lowest labour force participation rates of women in the 25-34 age group among OECD countries. The feminist economic literature stresses the unfair distribution of paid and unpaid (mostly caring) work between men and women. Moreover, it also emphasizes a strong causal link between childcare arrangements and labour force participation and success. Based on these arguments we suggest that the comparatively low female labour force participation rate of mothers with dependent children in New Zealand can be explained at least in part by how childcare is organized. Evidence from the relevant literature supports this contributing to policy changes. The transaction cost approach is also used to explain the participation patterns for women in the 25-34 year age-group and questions whether provision of childcare should be public or private. In conclusion we suggest a variety of avenues for New Zealand to make better use of its labour force and achieve a more potentially more efficient balance between paid and unpaid activities.
* Stefan Kesting is Senior Lecturer in Economics at the Auckland University of Technology. Private Bag 92006, Auckland 1142, New Zealand. Stefan.kesting@aut.ac.nz
The role of the State in family-friendly policy: An analysis of Labour-led government policy Abstract Since 1999, the Labour-led governments have introduced several public policy initiatives to encourage women into the paid workforce. However, this article argues that the changes have not gone far enough, and they require families to fit around work rather than change the way that paid work is organised. In particular, the article suggests that legislation, policy discussions and government sponsored research have largely been based on the 'business case' rationale. Reliance upon the 'business case' has resulted in the importance of unpaid care work being overlooked with an emphasis on individual responsibility for balancing work and family life. Overall the needs of working parents are not being fully met. * Katherine Ravenswood is a Lecturer and recipient of the VC Scholarship at AUT; email address: katherine.ravenswood@aut.ac.nz A Contested Workplace: Situating New Zealand's OHSM Regulatory Practice within the Literature - an Introduction to the Policy History and Regulatory Debates Abstract The implementation of New Zealand's Occupational Health and Safety Management (OHSM) regulatory regime has been subjected to sustained critique by the National Occupational Health and Safety Advisory Committee (NOHSAC). The most recent critique focuses upon the perceived inadequacies of current standards and guidance documents about what occupational health and safety management systems (OHSM systems) best practice means for employers. This paper provides an introduction to the literature, history, and policy debates about occupational health and safety (OHS) regulatory practice in advanced western nations. New insights in the recent literature pointing to the importance of understanding 'regulatory character' and the overlapping and often conflicting regulatory nature of the workplace space are identified. The insights raise questions about the role of a workers' compensation scheme in promoting workplace safety, and suggest that in order to implement a best practice OHS regulatory regime in New Zealand action on a number of fronts is required. * Dr John Wren, Adjunct Research Fellow, New Zealand Institute of Work and Labour Studies, Auckland University of Technology I love you - goodbye: Exit Interviews and Turnover in the New Zealand Hotel Industry Abstract Given the very tight labour market, skill shortages and staff retention have become major issues in the hotel industry. Furthermore, voluntary turnover incurs considerable expense as it is a labour intense service industry. This paper presents findings from data analysis of formal exit interviews conducted in two hotel chains. The first sample covers a large New Zealand hotel chain with 15 sites, with interviews conducted in 2004 and 2005. The quantitative data for this brand was collected nationally at multiple sites and is further illuminated by qualitative data focusing on a single site case study. The second set of interviews represents a single site, with data gathered from 2001 to 2005. The literature review discusses the theoretical foundations of employee turnover and exit interview efficacy. Particular focus is placed on the antecedents of turnover in the organisational entry phase of the employment relationship, with questions being raised around the importance of socialisation. In an industry that has traditionally high employee turnover, the efficacy of exit interviews in providing feedback on organisational entry is of crucial importance. Our findings raise questions regarding the effectiveness of information provided by the exit interview processes at both hotel chains. This leads the authors to ask how organisational improvement be directed if there is a process in place that fails to provide applicable employee feedback.
* David Williamson is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Hospitality Tourism at the Auckland University of Technology. David.williamson@aut.ac.nz A Research Note: Employee-focused corporate social responsibility reporting in the banking industry Abstract This research note explores the extent of publicised employee-focused corporate social responsibility ("CSR") initiatives in the banking sector. It assesses a number of New Zealand/Australian ("NZ/AUS") and European banks by comparing their current stated employee-focused CSR practices and policies (by means of CSR reports, annual reports, and web-based information) with current academic literature and international regulatory standards. There is a general assumption in the literature that the European banks are superior in their practises and reporting initiatives in employee-focused CSR. However, based on this initial assessment of the NZ/AUS banks' reports, there is some evidence the antipodean banks are perhaps more thorough and detailed regarding certain employee-focused CSR practices than some of the Northern Hemisphere counterparts. The paper concludes with a summary of the limitations of the extant research and suggestions for further research. * Kirsty Raubenheimer is a PhD student at AUT and recipient of the VC Scholarship, Email address: Kirsty Raubenheimer@aut.ac.nz |
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